“I have always been passionate about engaging students through innovative digital learning technologies.”
I am a medical doctor-turned-teacher with a research background in neuroscience. I studied medicine in Lahore, Pakistan, and after practising there I moved to Trento in Italy where I did an MSc in cognitive neuroscience. I really enjoyed working with patients and data and this led me into research, which ultimately paved the way for me to take on teaching roles at the Universities of Bristol and Birmingham.
I joined Imperial as a Teaching Fellow in the National Heart and Lung Institute in September last year. It was difficult at the beginning as the whole interview process was online, and even now, I have only met people on Microsoft Teams!
As well as lecturing in cardiovascular disease I teach research skills to medical students. Medical science has become more evidence-based in the past few decades and the General Medical Council recommends that all future doctors should have basic research skills. I love to teach research skills and my background as a clinician and a postgraduate scientist puts me in a really good position to do this.
I stay in touch with the students regularly to address their concerns in a timely fashion using online platforms. I teach them how to critically analyse papers, do evidence-based research and statistical analysis, write abstracts and deliver presentations. It gives me immense pleasure to watch them grow professionally and that I have a part to play in their success.
I have always been passionate about engaging students through innovative digital learning technologies. Lockdown has enabled me to hone these skills by helping academics develop some great online learning material that is interactive and visually appealing and meets our students’ needs.
I love travelling and I’ve visited almost half of the countries in Europe. It has been difficult to travel this past year, but when we can I really want to see my family in Pakistan. I also enjoy reading sci-fi and thrillers and watching movies.